NBA expansion is on the horizon, with the league targeting two new teams in Seattle and Las Vegas for the 2028-29 season. The Minnesota Timberwolves could move East as part of this process. Aside from this, the other major question is: Who would the Wolves protect for the expansion draft?
As a refresher, the two new teams in Seattle and Las Vegas will go through an expansion draft. Each team must protect eight players, but the rest of the roster is up for grabs. Now, these two teams can only draft one player from each team in the league. Still, tough decisions would have to be made.
Yes, this decision is still two years away, but let's have fun and determine what Minnesota would keep if the expansion draft were this season. It's also worth noting that the real expansion draft will take place early, not late, in the offseason—but let's have some fun!
With that in mind, let's take a deep look at which eight players Minnesota would protect if the expansion draft occurred this season.
The six no-brainers
Let's get the obvious out of the way. Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Joan Beringer, and Ayo Dosunmu would slot into six of these spots.
I don't think this needs a ton of explanation. Edwards is a superstar. Ball is his newly acquired co-star. McDaniels is an ideal complementary player who they wouldn't trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Gobert is the team's defensive anchor. Beringer is Gobert's successor and the team's best young player. They signed Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract, and he's an ideal complementary guard. These are all no-brainers.
The Jonathan Kuminga question
I'll go with Jonathan Kuminga as my seventh protected player, since he is the starting power forward. Regardless, I don't think keeping Kuminga would be a no-brainer. Kuminga has a player option after this season, and it's hard not to view him as a one-year rental given Minnesota's cap situation. As such, the Wolves might prioritize players they view as longer-term pieces.
In the end, though, Kuminga is too important and talented to leave unprotected. Remember how the power forward room looked before signing him? A team with title aspirations can't have such a glaring flaw.
Terrence Shannon Jr.'s upside vs. Donte DiVincenzo's proven skill set
The eighth and final spot comes down to Terrence Shannon Jr. and Donte DiVincenzo. That would be a tough call. At 26, it's easy to see Shannon as a bigger part of Minnesota's future. He flashed a ton of upside as a spark plug scorer in the playoffs. Plus, DiVincenzo's Achilles injury adds a layer of uncertainty.
Beyond the Timberwolves' unwavering loyalty to DiVincenzo, the case for keeping him is that he's proven to thrive in a complementary role. Shannon has flashed upside as a microwave scorer, but he isn't a future star. Nevertheless, he needs the ball in his hands to succeed and hasn't had success in a scaled-down role. Can the Wolves truly empower him on the ball? For these reasons, I question Shannon's impact and future with the Wolves despite how high they are on him internally.
When it's all said and done, though, I think the Wolves would value Shannon's youth over DiVincenzo's proven skill set. Unfortunately, DiVincenzo's injury plays a role in this assessment.
Other key unprotected players
Either DiVincenzo or Shannon would be the biggest unprotected name. Still, rookie Isaiah Evans, microwave bucket-getter Bones Hyland, young wing Jaylen Clark, and 2024 lottery pick Cody Williams would all be unprotected.
As noted earlier, only one player could be selected in the expansion draft. The Wolves would be leaving a lot of talent up for grabs, though. There's a chance that Seattle or Vegas would target one of these four upside swings over an older DiVincenzo.
The Timberwolves' roster is bound to look different in 2028, when the actual draft is likely to take place. However, this exercise highlights the type of tough calls they'll have to make.
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